Argh - Pump left on all day dry!

[rick_h]

Hi everyone,

So we loaned our trailer to father and mother-in-law. I walked him thru the trailer and all that had to be done - he took notes. Anyway it was forgotten that the pump should NOT be turned on with water hooked up. So the pump ran dry for at least 12 maybe 24 hours.

Are the seals going to be shot from running dry or might we be OK? I know all the large pumps I deal with day to day need water to keep seals lubricated, I assume the same applies here. I knew something like this would happen.

Thanks,

Rick

 

[Recovered from 25-May-2010]

Did they mention if they heard the pump run? It may not have run due to no need to have done so.

 

[lwmcguir]

The viton parts in the pumps can run dry without affecting the pump other than the excessive time/wear. These pumps aent like industrial pumps and are designed to start off dry and purge out the air.

 

[Jimmy]

I think this is a "on-demand pump" and it should not have ran all day or at all. Good luck.

 

[rick_h]

Thanks for the replies. They did here it running. Not sure if steady or intermittent. Hopefully the seals are as said. I'll have to put some water through it in a couple weeks when I get out again to know for sure

 

[jmgratz]

Hi everyone,

So we loaned our trailer to father and mother-in-law. I walked him thru the trailer and all that had to be done - he took notes. Anyway it was forgotten that the pump should NOT be turned on with water hooked up. So the pump ran dry for at least 12 maybe 24 hours.

Are the seals going to be shot from running dry or might we be OK? I know all the large pumps I deal with day to day need water to keep seals lubricated, I assume the same applies here. I knew something like this would happen.

Thanks,

Rick

There is a moral to this story. Do not loan your trailer. Take them with you. or have them get their own if they want to go that bad. MHO

 

[Bob&Patty]

Jim, thats mean.........but SO true. I would loan out Patty before the Horn (trust me, they would bring her back).

 

[rick_h]

There is a moral to this story. Do not loan your trailer. Take them with you. or have them get their own if they want to go that bad. MHO

TAKE THEM WITH ME ???? OMG YOU DON'T KNOW MY INLAWS lol

 

[lwmcguir]

I think this is a "on-demand pump" and it should not have ran all day or at all. Good luck.

I agree, but I wasn't assuming there was water in the tank and it was valved correctly. Should it have been then it certainly should have cycled and not ran all day.

 

[Bob&Patty]

OH COME ON RICK....be a pal...take them with you. NO......you can't lend them mine. The pump will be fine.

 

[PUG]

When they hooked up to a campground outlet it should not have run but only when the pressure was reduced. Not hooked up it would only run when the pressure was down like when they open a faucett. If they ran it dry and on, yes it would run all the time trying to build pressure. I think it will be ok but it added a few years to the life of it.

I don't loan anything except to people that know more about what I have then I do and then very rarely. I just don't offer. Believe me with a truck, car, street bike, dirt bikes, four wheeler, snowmachines, and a sailboat there are plenty of takers but sorry Charlie get your own.

 

[lhetsler]

It may have run all day if the fresh water tank was empty or went empty. I sometime run my pump while hooked up to a campground that has very low pressure say 30 lbs or less. This increases the pressure. I have notice that it will in time empty the fresh water tank, as if some water comes from the tank and some from the city water. I have noticed that sometimes air seems to get trapped in the pipes when the city water system is in use and I turn the pump on, to correct it I have to turn off the city water for a short time to let the pump push the air out. My experience is that these pumps can handle running dry without damaging them. Has happened to me several times.